Sorry to be so technical in the title :-)
What I would like to do is get a result like
those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
style. I have almost finished my bar top.
I have left a knot hole, (about 1 inch across) in
the top with the intention of pouring this
alleged clear substance (epoxy ? resin ?)
to a thickness of about 3 inches (the hole
goes below the level of the bartop). I will
embed something translucent such as perhaps a
gemstone or ? and light it from below.
I looked at that pourable bar top finish but
it says only pour it to a thickness of 1/4 inch
at a time, and I'm afraid repeating that process
12 times to get a thickness of 3# is not going
to be the clear result I'm hoping for.
Suggestions appreciated.
Paul
Denver
Someone told me to use a hair dryer to get out the bubbles.
Bill
"Paul" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Paul wrote:
> >
> > Sorry to be so technical in the title :-)
> >
> > What I would like to do is get a result like
> > those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
> > style. I have almost finished my bar top.
> > I have left a knot hole, (about 1 inch across) in
> > the top with the intention of pouring this
> > alleged clear substance (epoxy ? resin ?)
> > to a thickness of about 3 inches (the hole
> > goes below the level of the bartop). I will
> > embed something translucent such as perhaps a
> > gemstone or ? and light it from below.
> >
> > I looked at that pourable bar top finish but
> > it says only pour it to a thickness of 1/4 inch
> > at a time, and I'm afraid repeating that process
> > 12 times to get a thickness of 3# is not going
> > to be the clear result I'm hoping for.
> >
> > Suggestions appreciated.
> >
> > Paul
> > Denver
>
> Thanks for all the responses. Some misunderstood that
> I was going to cover the entire bar top with this stuff.
>
> The product I am using is clear casting resin. It is
> specially formulated for large castings and this
> specialty item is called Mass Casting Resin. I
> poured a test of about 1 1/2" diameter by 3" tall.
> There were a lot of bubbles in the test casting
> pour but all worked their way out before it became
> hardened. Hardening took less than 24 hours.
>
> The only downside is that the stuff shrinks during
> hardening,
> so the top of my small cylinder of resin has waves. This
> will be addressed by adding a topping of varnish if
> the resin will accept it during the test, or a second
> application of the resin if varnish doesn't hold.
>
> Thanks again for all your responses.
>
>
> Paul
Gene T wrote:
>
> Paul, I believe even if you used resin you would need to do it in 1/4 inch
> "steps". Both epoxy and resin gets hot during the curing process and you
> might actually cause a fire by pouring too thick.
> Gene
Thanks Gene ... after snooping around it seems
the stuff I'm looking for is called " clear casting
resin" and is some sort of poly product.
The arts and crafts people use it. Luckily
I live in a big city and have found the stuff
locally and will do a test pour tonight.
Thanks Gene for taking the time to reply.
Paul
> "Paul" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > Sorry to be so technical in the title :-)
> >
> > What I would like to do is get a result like
> > those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
> > style. I have almost finished my bar top.
> > I have left a knot hole, (about 1 inch across) in
> > the top with the intention of pouring this
> > alleged clear substance (epoxy ? resin ?)
> > to a thickness of about 3 inches (the hole
> > goes below the level of the bartop). I will
> > embed something translucent such as perhaps a
> > gemstone or ? and light it from below.
> >
> > I looked at that pourable bar top finish but
> > it says only pour it to a thickness of 1/4 inch
> > at a time, and I'm afraid repeating that process
> > 12 times to get a thickness of 3# is not going
> > to be the clear result I'm hoping for.
> >
> > Suggestions appreciated.
> >
> > Paul
> > Denver
Paul wrote:
>
> Sorry to be so technical in the title :-)
>
> What I would like to do is get a result like
> those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
> style. I have almost finished my bar top.
> I have left a knot hole, (about 1 inch across) in
> the top with the intention of pouring this
> alleged clear substance (epoxy ? resin ?)
> to a thickness of about 3 inches (the hole
> goes below the level of the bartop). I will
> embed something translucent such as perhaps a
> gemstone or ? and light it from below.
>
> I looked at that pourable bar top finish but
> it says only pour it to a thickness of 1/4 inch
> at a time, and I'm afraid repeating that process
> 12 times to get a thickness of 3# is not going
> to be the clear result I'm hoping for.
>
> Suggestions appreciated.
>
> Paul
> Denver
Thanks for all the responses. Some misunderstood that
I was going to cover the entire bar top with this stuff.
The product I am using is clear casting resin. It is
specially formulated for large castings and this
specialty item is called Mass Casting Resin. I
poured a test of about 1 1/2" diameter by 3" tall.
There were a lot of bubbles in the test casting
pour but all worked their way out before it became
hardened. Hardening took less than 24 hours.
The only downside is that the stuff shrinks during
hardening,
so the top of my small cylinder of resin has waves. This
will be addressed by adding a topping of varnish if
the resin will accept it during the test, or a second
application of the resin if varnish doesn't hold.
Thanks again for all your responses.
Paul
On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 13:56:23 -0700, Paul <[email protected]> wrote:
> What I would like to do is get a result like
> those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
> style.
You didn't live through the '70s, did you ? 8-)
It's clear casting polyester (not epoxy) resin. It's basically the
same stuff as used for fibreglass work, except that it's water-clear
and it's low-heat so that you can pour and cure a single thick layer.
Talk to a fibreglass supplier. It's not cheap, but buying small
quantities from a "craft" shop gets insanely expensive.
Practice using it first. Pouring technique is important, as it's easy
to get air bubbles. Porous materials, like paper, often need sealing
first, to avoid them turning translucent. It's usual to pour in
several steps, with a couple of hours between each. The first coat is
sometimes coloured, the last coat is sometimes a different formulation
to give a better finish, although it's usually just polished after
curing.
--
Smert' spamionam
I believe that this is what you're looking for:
http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=4140&gift=False&0=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D10000%26Tree%3D%2CDepartments&1=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D1042%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D0%2CFinishing&2=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D5001%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D1%2CEpoxy%20Finishes&Gift=False&mscssid=A170D4F78DEB41BFA9918E7641C88591
"Paul" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Sorry to be so technical in the title :-)
>
> What I would like to do is get a result like
> those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
> style. I have almost finished my bar top.
> I have left a knot hole, (about 1 inch across) in
> the top with the intention of pouring this
> alleged clear substance (epoxy ? resin ?)
> to a thickness of about 3 inches (the hole
> goes below the level of the bartop). I will
> embed something translucent such as perhaps a
> gemstone or ? and light it from below.
>
> I looked at that pourable bar top finish but
> it says only pour it to a thickness of 1/4 inch
> at a time, and I'm afraid repeating that process
> 12 times to get a thickness of 3# is not going
> to be the clear result I'm hoping for.
>
> Suggestions appreciated.
>
> Paul
> Denver
Paul wrote...
> The product I am using is clear casting resin. It is
> specially formulated for large castings and this
> specialty item is called Mass Casting Resin. I
> poured a test of about 1 1/2" diameter by 3" tall.
> There were a lot of bubbles in the test casting
> pour but all worked their way out before it became
> hardened. Hardening took less than 24 hours.
>
> The only downside is that the stuff shrinks during
> hardening,
> so the top of my small cylinder of resin has waves. This
> will be addressed by adding a topping of varnish if
> the resin will accept it during the test, or a second
> application of the resin if varnish doesn't hold.
Another option to consider, if you want a smooth finished surface, is to
use enough excess to allow for the shrinkage, and then shape and polish
the surface using sandpaper to achieve the look you want. You should be
able to achieve a glassy finish if you use a fine enough abrasive.
Jim
Paul, I believe even if you used resin you would need to do it in 1/4 inch
"steps". Both epoxy and resin gets hot during the curing process and you
might actually cause a fire by pouring too thick.
Gene
"Paul" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Sorry to be so technical in the title :-)
>
> What I would like to do is get a result like
> those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
> style. I have almost finished my bar top.
> I have left a knot hole, (about 1 inch across) in
> the top with the intention of pouring this
> alleged clear substance (epoxy ? resin ?)
> to a thickness of about 3 inches (the hole
> goes below the level of the bartop). I will
> embed something translucent such as perhaps a
> gemstone or ? and light it from below.
>
> I looked at that pourable bar top finish but
> it says only pour it to a thickness of 1/4 inch
> at a time, and I'm afraid repeating that process
> 12 times to get a thickness of 3# is not going
> to be the clear result I'm hoping for.
>
> Suggestions appreciated.
>
> Paul
> Denver
In article <CzHLb.70799$hf1.16906@lakeread06>,
"Harvey Levin" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I believe that this is what you're looking for:
>
> http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=4140&gift=F
> alse&0=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D10000%26Tree%3D%2CDepartments&1=dept%2Easp%2Cd
> ept%5Fid%3D1042%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D0%2CFinishing&2=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid
> %3D5001%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D1%2CEpoxy%20Finishes&Gift=False&mscssid=A170D4
> F78DEB41BFA9918E7641C88591
>
>
> "Paul" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > Sorry to be so technical in the title :-)
> >
> > What I would like to do is get a result like
> > those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
> > style. I have almost finished my bar top.
> > I have left a knot hole, (about 1 inch across) in
> > the top with the intention of pouring this
> > alleged clear substance (epoxy ? resin ?)
> > to a thickness of about 3 inches (the hole
> > goes below the level of the bartop). I will
> > embed something translucent such as perhaps a
> > gemstone or ? and light it from below.
> >
> > I looked at that pourable bar top finish but
> > it says only pour it to a thickness of 1/4 inch
> > at a time, and I'm afraid repeating that process
> > 12 times to get a thickness of 3# is not going
> > to be the clear result I'm hoping for.
> >
> > Suggestions appreciated.
> >
> > Paul
> > Denver
>
>
Try Clear Cast from Micheals - easy to use, few bubbles.
Andy Dingley wrote:
> You didn't live through the '70s, did you ? 8-)
That stuff they used all over the place in the '70s is supposed to out-gas
formaldehyde or some other nasty, carcinogenic chemical for years, I seem
to recall.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
On 9-Jan-2004, "Gene T" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Both epoxy and resin gets hot during the curing process
Some epoxies are available with slow-cure hardeners. These
can be used for thicker layers to keep the heat down. However,
I don't know if they are available for the hardnesses you'd want
for a table/bar top and the slow cure (24h or more) might lead
to other problems (dust, vibration-induced surface roughness???).
The stuff that the craftfolk use is made to be poured thick.
Mike
WEST epoxy??? Only problem is usually one of trapped bubbles and
trying to pour on a 3in thick layer is going to be a royal PITA to get
a bubble free pour
Also, if the top is large, 3in thick is going to take a LOT of epoxy
John
On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 13:56:23 -0700, Paul <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Sorry to be so technical in the title :-)
>
> What I would like to do is get a result like
> those clear paperweights in a do it yourself
> style. I have almost finished my bar top.
> I have left a knot hole, (about 1 inch across) in
> the top with the intention of pouring this
> alleged clear substance (epoxy ? resin ?)
> to a thickness of about 3 inches (the hole
> goes below the level of the bartop). I will
> embed something translucent such as perhaps a
> gemstone or ? and light it from below.
>
> I looked at that pourable bar top finish but
> it says only pour it to a thickness of 1/4 inch
> at a time, and I'm afraid repeating that process
> 12 times to get a thickness of 3# is not going
> to be the clear result I'm hoping for.
>
> Suggestions appreciated.
>
> Paul
> Denver